State College Exploring Possible Bike Share Program

A Zagster bike station on the Penn State campus. Photo by Callaway Turner | Onward State

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State College Borough is seeking public feedback to gauge interest in a possible community bike share program.

Community members are asked to go to the Engage State College website to complete a brief survey about whether they would support a bike share in State College, how likely they would be to use it and how often they would anticipate using it.

Respondents can also place a pin on locations they would like to see a bike share station.

Bike shares allow customers to use a bicycle for a fee, picking up a bicycle at one station and dropping it back there or any other in the service area.

Implementing a downtown bike share is expected to cost about $24,000 and Penn State's University Park Undergraduate Association passed legislation in March committing $12,000 for the first year.

Penn State Transportation Services partnered with Zagster in 2017 to launch a bike share service on campus, with 17 stations and 85 bicycles available on campus. Through an app or website, users are able to select a bike number to unlock the bike from its docking station. Annual memberships are available for students ($25), faculty and staff ($35), and community members or visitors ($50). An hourly rate of $3 an hour is also available.

UPUA Borough Liaison Tom Dougherty spearheaded the proposal for a bike share downtown after seeing Zagster bicycles around the borough, according to Onward State.

Dougherty said that a pilot program could have three locations — one each at the east and west ends of downtown and one near South Allen Street — but that the community survey would determine the final locations.

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